Steak-loving, Bible-quoting former Australian politician Nick Adams has history of Islamophobic remarks
PUBLISHED : 12 Jul 2025
WRITER: The New York Times
Once a local politician in Australia, Nick Adams was pushed out of the Liberal Party for conduct “likely to embarrass or cause damage to the reputation” of the party. He later emigrated to the United States and has become a “manosphere” celebrity. (Photo: Nick Adams Substack page)
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has nominated a fiery right-wing influencer known for his machismo and professed love for steaks and Hooters to be the ambassador to Malaysia.
Nick Adams, an Australian-American who immigrated to the United States and became an early, fawning supporter of Trump, has amassed a conservative following with his over-the-top “alpha male” persona.
He is part of an unruly world of online content that primarily appeals to young men, known as the “manosphere” — many of whom have aligned with Trump or been sympathetic to his policies.
In a video shared on social media — lacking the incendiary rhetoric and vulgar humour that elevated him to political prominence — Adams thanked Trump “for the honour of a lifetime,” adding, “In your America, all dreams come true.”
Adams, whose nomination to be the top diplomat to a Muslim-majority country of 35 million was sent to the Senate on Wednesday, has a history of Islamophobic remarks in his online commentary, denigrating Trump’s political rivals as supporters of Islam and railing against purported efforts to “teach Islam in schools”.
As a surrogate in Trump’s 2024 campaign, he shifted to promote the views of Muslim Trump supporters, part of an effort to drive a wedge in the Democratic voter base over the war in the Gaza Strip.
Online, Adams has gleefully indulged in crass jokes and other forms of internet trolling. He posts frequently about stereotypical symbols of masculinity, like eating steak and frequenting Hooters — the chain restaurant famous for its half-naked waitresses.
In February, he wrote that Hooters’ planned bankruptcy was caused by “Bidenflation, combined with the woke un-Americanism of the Democrats”.
He continued, “I personally volunteer myself to lead a Presidential Taskforce For The Preservation of Hooters.”
Trump wrote the foreword to Adams’ most-recently published book promoting macho ideology, Alpha Kings, praising him as “one of my favourite authors and also one of my favorite speakers”.
He continued, “Like me, I know that Nick appreciates the power of humour, when it comes to making a point.”
Once a local politician in Australia, Adams was pushed out of the centre-right Liberal Party there for conduct “likely to embarrass or cause damage to the reputation” of the party.
In 2017, Trump promoted another of his books, Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals’ System, which was published soon after he arrived in the United States. Adams became a naturalised US citizen in 2021.This article originally appeared in The New York Times
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump has nominated a fiery right-wing influencer known for his machismo and professed love for steaks and Hooters to be the ambassador to Malaysia.
Nick Adams, an Australian-American who immigrated to the United States and became an early, fawning supporter of Trump, has amassed a conservative following with his over-the-top “alpha male” persona.
He is part of an unruly world of online content that primarily appeals to young men, known as the “manosphere” — many of whom have aligned with Trump or been sympathetic to his policies.
In a video shared on social media — lacking the incendiary rhetoric and vulgar humour that elevated him to political prominence — Adams thanked Trump “for the honour of a lifetime,” adding, “In your America, all dreams come true.”
Adams, whose nomination to be the top diplomat to a Muslim-majority country of 35 million was sent to the Senate on Wednesday, has a history of Islamophobic remarks in his online commentary, denigrating Trump’s political rivals as supporters of Islam and railing against purported efforts to “teach Islam in schools”.
As a surrogate in Trump’s 2024 campaign, he shifted to promote the views of Muslim Trump supporters, part of an effort to drive a wedge in the Democratic voter base over the war in the Gaza Strip.
Online, Adams has gleefully indulged in crass jokes and other forms of internet trolling. He posts frequently about stereotypical symbols of masculinity, like eating steak and frequenting Hooters — the chain restaurant famous for its half-naked waitresses.
In February, he wrote that Hooters’ planned bankruptcy was caused by “Bidenflation, combined with the woke un-Americanism of the Democrats”.
He continued, “I personally volunteer myself to lead a Presidential Taskforce For The Preservation of Hooters.”
Trump wrote the foreword to Adams’ most-recently published book promoting macho ideology, Alpha Kings, praising him as “one of my favourite authors and also one of my favorite speakers”.
He continued, “Like me, I know that Nick appreciates the power of humour, when it comes to making a point.”
Once a local politician in Australia, Adams was pushed out of the centre-right Liberal Party there for conduct “likely to embarrass or cause damage to the reputation” of the party.
In 2017, Trump promoted another of his books, Green Card Warrior: My Quest for Legal Immigration in an Illegals’ System, which was published soon after he arrived in the United States. Adams became a naturalised US citizen in 2021.This article originally appeared in The New York Times
Trump’s pick for Singapore envoy chided for lack of knowledge
‘You haven’t even done your homework’: Thai-born senator roasts physician Anjani Sinha
PUBLISHED : 10 Jul 2025
WRITER: Bloomberg News
Sinha either did not know the answers or stumbled in his responses.
At the end of the exchange Ms Duckworth appeared exasperated and said: “I just feel you are not taking this seriously.
“You think this is a glamour posting, that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore, when what we need is someone who can actually do the work.”
Videos of the exchange (see below) have gone viral in Southeast Asia.
Asked if he supported Trump’s 10% tariff on imports from Singapore, Sinha said, “I believe in the president’s decision of free trade with any nation in the world and he’s resetting the trade numbers with each country and he’s open for discussion and dialogue with each country.”
Despite the pushback from Duckworth, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and have enough votes to approve the nomination.
The post of ambassador to Singapore has been a fraught issue since the first Trump term, when his initial nominee for the role failed to advance to the confirmation stage.
Then, during the Biden administration, Ambassador Jonathan Kaplan was accused in an inspector-general’s report last year of threatening staff, wasting money and poorly promoting US interests.
Kaplan, who left his post in January, said in a statement at the time that he took “full responsibility for quickly addressing the concerns and recommendations found in the report”.
Sinha appeared alongside four other ambassadorial nominees, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr, who has been nominated to serve in Greece.
The oprthopaedic surgeon and founder of a chain of clinics was introduced by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who cited Singapore’s medical tourism sector as an area Sinha could help develop.
“He knows the region and he knows the issues,” Graham said.
‘You haven’t even done your homework’: Thai-born senator roasts physician Anjani Sinha
PUBLISHED : 10 Jul 2025
WRITER: Bloomberg News
Thai-born Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois questions Anjani Sinha, the nominee for ambassador to Singapore, at a Senate confirmation hearing in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Captured from Bloomberg TV)
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as US ambassador to Singapore had a contentious Senate confirmation hearing in which he struggled to answer inquiries about the city-state and its ties to Washington.
Physician Anjani Sinha was pressed by Thai-born Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois over issues such as trade with the US and Singapore’s priorities when it assumes the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2027.
When asked about the size of the US trade surplus with Singapore in 2024, Sinha initially said it was $80 billion, then quickly revised it to copy8 billion. The actual surplus was $2.8 billion, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
The responses prompted Duckworth to say: “I am trying to help you here but you have not even done your homework.” She added that Sinha was “not prepared for this posting.”
Duckworth also questioned him about issues that would be important to Singapore, its upcoming chairmanship of Asean, and the US Navy’s presence in the city-state.
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as US ambassador to Singapore had a contentious Senate confirmation hearing in which he struggled to answer inquiries about the city-state and its ties to Washington.
Physician Anjani Sinha was pressed by Thai-born Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois over issues such as trade with the US and Singapore’s priorities when it assumes the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2027.
When asked about the size of the US trade surplus with Singapore in 2024, Sinha initially said it was $80 billion, then quickly revised it to copy8 billion. The actual surplus was $2.8 billion, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative.
The responses prompted Duckworth to say: “I am trying to help you here but you have not even done your homework.” She added that Sinha was “not prepared for this posting.”
Duckworth also questioned him about issues that would be important to Singapore, its upcoming chairmanship of Asean, and the US Navy’s presence in the city-state.
Sinha either did not know the answers or stumbled in his responses.
At the end of the exchange Ms Duckworth appeared exasperated and said: “I just feel you are not taking this seriously.
“You think this is a glamour posting, that you’re going to live a nice life in Singapore, when what we need is someone who can actually do the work.”
Videos of the exchange (see below) have gone viral in Southeast Asia.
Asked if he supported Trump’s 10% tariff on imports from Singapore, Sinha said, “I believe in the president’s decision of free trade with any nation in the world and he’s resetting the trade numbers with each country and he’s open for discussion and dialogue with each country.”
Despite the pushback from Duckworth, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and have enough votes to approve the nomination.
The post of ambassador to Singapore has been a fraught issue since the first Trump term, when his initial nominee for the role failed to advance to the confirmation stage.
Then, during the Biden administration, Ambassador Jonathan Kaplan was accused in an inspector-general’s report last year of threatening staff, wasting money and poorly promoting US interests.
Kaplan, who left his post in January, said in a statement at the time that he took “full responsibility for quickly addressing the concerns and recommendations found in the report”.
Sinha appeared alongside four other ambassadorial nominees, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, the fiancee of Donald Trump Jr, who has been nominated to serve in Greece.
The oprthopaedic surgeon and founder of a chain of clinics was introduced by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who cited Singapore’s medical tourism sector as an area Sinha could help develop.
“He knows the region and he knows the issues,” Graham said.
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